


While The Song Remains The Same

by ThatBohoFemme



Series: Between The Pages of My Mind [1]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS, Things are weird, domestic fic, head injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-01-15 05:36:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21248303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatBohoFemme/pseuds/ThatBohoFemme
Summary: The doctors pass it off asretrograde amnesia. Her memorymightcome back but it alsomight not. They just don't know. All they can do is take it one day at a time.They say truth is stranger than fiction. Becky's always believed that but she's never been the 'victim' of anything too odd.Until now





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the kind of fic that will take a few parts to get going. 
> 
> Just remember nothing is as it seems.

_This is but isn’t my Becky._

Becky assumes she isn’t supposed to hear this.

Charlotte’s sheepish look confirms this. 

Thinking Becky asleep (and to be fair, she had been), Charlotte snuck into the sunroom. It’s the furthest from their bedroom, and the one spot where she’s least likely to be overheard. 

Becky accidentally stumbles in, leaving Charlotte to hang up in a flustered haze. 

_Nattie, she’s up. I’ll call you later. Give my- I mean- our love to Gracie, and we’ll call during bedtime. See you tomorrow!_

Mumbling apologies Becky can barely make out, Charlotte stows the phone away. Glancing up, she greets Becky with a fake smile. She _looks_ happy but her hollow eyes betray her. 

"Sorry- Nattie called to find out where we're meeting them. Gracie's asking for us." Charlotte threads her fingers together, resting her hands on the top of her swollen belly. 

Becky nods, sitting across from her. The old rattan chair squeaks under her weight. She imagines this is the kind of furniture she hates while Charlotte loves. What would it be like to know that?

Her gaze falls on Charlotte's belly. They've got just over seven weeks before their new arrival is due. This isn't the time to stress her out anymore than she already is. 

It's a situation outside of Becky's control.

"You're fine." Becky clears her throat, wishing the words would come. There are no easy words. This is a situation no one could prepare for. 

"She misses us." Charlotte squeezes her eyes shut, trying to blink tears away. She sits back in the chair, as Becky leans forward. "I want her here but..." 

"You want to protect her." Becky jams her hands in the front pocket of her hoodie, as she does her best to ignore the dull throb in her head. 

"Bex, you don't remember."

_If only you knew._

Becky never wants to lie to Charlotte. She always wants to be a hundred percent honest. Yet, in a time like this, she _can't_. Things are odder than they'd ever been before. She doesn't think Charlotte will believe her. Plus the stress of the situation isn't healthy for any of them.

"Not that I think you'd hurt her. Let me be clear." Charlotte gnaws on her thumbnail, as her eyes drift towards the ceiling. 

"You don't want to hurt her." Becky pulls her legs up on the chair, bringing them tight against her chest. "Don't blame you- _I_ don't want to hurt her." 

"I just... she knows you're still recovering from the accident but how do we tell her _Angel, don't feel bad- Mama can't remember you_?" 

The doctors pass it off as _retrograde amnesia_. Her memory _might_ come back but it also _might not_. They just don't know. All they can do is take it one day at a time. 

They say truth is stranger than fiction. Becky's always believed that but she's never been the 'victim' of anything too odd. 

_Until now_

"One day at a time, Bex." Charlotte pushes herself out of the chair, swaying under the weight of her belly. She grabs the chair's arm, using it to steady herself. Crossing the room, she pauses, running her fingers through Becky's hair. She gazes sadly at her but doesn't say anything. 

Becky knows they're sharing the same thought. 

_I want the life I remember._


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to want a life you've never known.

They arrange to see Gracie on “neutral ground“. Becky thinks it’s bullshit but Charlotte _insists_ on following the social worker’s recommendations.

“We don’t want her to feel abandoned.“ Charlotte’s hand flies to the small of her back as they walk towards the playground. It’s a beautiful day -just perfect for being outside. “This hasn’t been easy for her.“

Becky nods, focusing on the cracked sidewalk. She doesn’t argue-there’s no point. How can she fault Charlotte for doing what she thinks is best for their daughter?

“Will have her home before we know it.“ Becky reaches over, grabbing Charlotte‘s hand. She gives it a gentle squeeze as they walk in silence.

After a few moments, Charlotte speaks.

“I hope.“ 

Charlotte smiles, clearly burdened by the weight of her thoughts. She stares forward, taking in the sight of the playground full of excited children.

Becky wonders what this life was like _before_. She thinks they were happy. All the pictures around their house confirm this. Now, they’re all sad and stressed out – she doesn’t know what to think.

“How are you feeling?“ Becky asks, guiding Charlotte to a bench on the side of the playground.

“Huge.“ Charlotte grips Becky’s shoulder as she eases herself onto the bench. “Still have six weeks to go- I don’t know how you managed with Gracie.“

Becky squeezes her eyes shut. She can just see the faint line of scar tissue- the only visible sign she'd once been pregnant. Gracie is of her body. 

If she could only remember...

"That bad?" Becky reaches over, tracing the back of Charlotte's hand with her thumb. 

"Gracie was 3 weeks overdue. Guess you made her too comfortable. _Nothing_ we tried would induce. The midwife didn't want to try Pitocin- she wanted to try teas, other things. Nothing worked. Finally, we had to transfer to a traditional doctor and a c-section." 

"That doesn't...we're not using her again, are we?" Becky _hates_ doctors, but she can't imagine going along with a plan like that. Of course the baby comes first...

"No- I found a better one." Charlotte reaches over, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Becky's ear. 

Becky pulls back, allowing a flash to take over. 

It's another time and another place. They stare out at New York Harbor, watching the waves crash over and over. It's a rare moment of quiet. Charlotte reaches over, tucking a loose piece of hair behind Becky's ear. Their eyes connect, and _all is right_. 

Becky jerks, shaking herself back to reality. She can't allow herself to dream of _before_. She can't miss a life that's not hers. 

It's not fair to Charlotte, and it's especially not fair to Gracie. 

She needs to focus on the now _for them_. 

"Mommy!" A small girl squeals, skidding to a stop in front of them. She glances up, smoothing down the skirt of her gray cat print dress. "Mumma! Do you like my dress? Auntie Nattie bought it for me." 

_Some things never change._ Becky thinks, stifling a laugh. She slides off the bench, and squats down to Gracie's height. 

"Gracie Girl!" She holds her arms open, taking in her first sight of their daughter. 

To Becky's surprise, Gracie looks at her and begins to cry. 

Charlotte struggles to her feet, joining Becky at Gracie's height. "What's wrong, Lady Bug?" 

"Mumma's _weird_." Gracie throws her arms around Charlotte and buries her face in her shoulder. 

A breath catches in Becky's throat. How can their young daughter see it when Charlotte can't? 

"Remember I told you Mumma hurt herself and needed time to get better?" 

"Yeah?" Gracie pulls back, sniffling. 

"Well, Lady Bug..." Charlotte straightens up, ignoring Becky's offer to help. "Mumma's getting better, but she needs some more time." 

Becky stands, fixing her gaze on an empty jungle gym. She hates not being able to help, but she trusts Charlotte's got this. It won't be like this forever. 

"We'll be okay-I promise." Charlotte grabs Gracie's hand and gently squeezes. "Remember- we're a family and _family means no one gets left behind or forgotten._" 

Tears sting Becky's eyes but she blinks them away. She can't cry, regardless of how much it might hurt. This isn't the time. It isn't the place. 

This hasn't been easy on anyone. 

"Why don't we go swing?" Charlotte nods towards an empty swing. "I can push you, and then, Mumma can join us on the jungle gym." 

Gracie nods, pulling Charlotte by the hand. She leads the way to the swing. 

"I see Gracie has no problem finding her way." A woman jogs up, stopping at the bench. "Don't worry- I did have my eye on her for most of the way!" 

"Nattie." Becky speaks before she can stop herself. 

Of course, this isn't _her_ Nattie. In this world, they're friends, bound by marriage. It isn't like before when they traveled the world as both friend and foe. 

"How are you feeling?" Nattie leans over, brushing her lips against Becky's cheek. "You look so much better than the last time I saw you." 

Becky nods, pulling her best fake smile. Nattie had visited just before they released her from the hospital. Of course she looked better now. 

"The Queen of Hearts," Becky mumbles under her breath. 

"Charlotte told you about that?" 

"What?" Becky jams her hands in her pockets, as she stares ahead. What could she have possibly said?

"_The Queen of Harts._ It was my sorority nickname!" 

Becky nods, silently cursing her mistake. Hopefully Nattie didn't mention this to Charlotte. She can't possibly explain how she knew.   
She didn't know Nattie had even been in a sorority...

"I haven't seen Gracie this happy in days!" Nattie nods towards the little girl, squealing with joy as she glides through the air. 

Becky nods, scraping the rubber toe of her sneaker against the concrete. She has no response to this. 

Becky wants their perfect life back, but she doesn't want it for her. 

She wants it back for Charlotte's genuine smile. She wants it back to give Gracie _everything_ she deserves. 

It's hard to want a life you've never known. 

"Hopefully things settle down soon. I know we're eager to get her home." Becky stifles a groan, as her head begins to throb in the familiar rhythm of a tension headache. 

Closing her eyes, she's back in an office, talking to a man about all the chaos in the world. 

_Is doing the right thing really that complicated?_


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becky stills, staring up at the ceiling. She's so used to the go-go-go that it's weird to just relax. This is the longest she's been home in a _very_ long time. 
> 
> She thinks she might get used to it. 
> 
> Then again, she might not and that's okay too.

Becky wakes to the sun peeking through the parted curtains. The warm beams fall across her face in a gentle kiss, and shine in her eyes. 

Charlotte snores, blissfully unaware of the disturbance. With her pregnancy pillow held tight against her, she shifts but doesn't wake. 

Becky stills, staring up at the ceiling. She's so used to the go-go-go that it's weird to just relax. This is the longest she's been home in a _very_ long time. 

She thinks she might get used to it. 

Then again, she might not and that's okay too. 

Pushing out of bed, Becky ignores the icy floor on her bare feet. They'll need to get an area rug before the baby arrives- maybe she'll suggest they go to _Pottery Barn_ later that day. 

Leaning over, she pulls the blankets over Charlotte. She can't resist brushing a soft kiss over her temple. 

She wonders why she fell in love with _this_ Charlotte. They're so similar and yet, so different. It's a weird thing to even consider- shouldn't they be the same? 

She dresses, pulling on over-sized purple sweatpants and a holey gray t-shirt advertising _Dartmouth_. She exhales, as the sweet scent of Lavender Honey laundry soap takes over. 

It pulls her back to more hotels than she can possibly count, endless miles over countless roads, and two imperfect people doing their best to make it work. 

Now... Becky doesn't know. 

_Nothing_ makes sense. 

Becky leaves the room, shutting the door behind her. She stops, staring at the closed door adjacent to their bedroom. Reaching out, she traces each painted letter of their daughter's name. 

_Gracen Louise_

She pushes the door open, and walks in. It's the first time she's even been tempted to come in. 

The walls are a soft, airy pink. While most of the house has clearly been professionally painted, this room has the slight imperfections to tell her it was a labor of love. 

She sits on the foot of the double bed. She pulls a stuffed ballerina bunny to her chest, and runs her fingers over her fur- bald in some spots and matted in other spots. It's clear the bunny's well-loved.

"Oh Gracie." Becky flops back onto the bed, sinking into the plush mattress. She tightens her hold on the bunny, and allows herself to dream. 

Once upon a time, they had dreamt of the perfect life. 2.5 kids, a dog and an actual house on a small piece of land far from the stresses of life.

It didn’t happen. They ended up apart. Becky couldn’t deal with the whispers of the people who swore Charlotte could do better.

“Is this a weird coma dream?“ Becky asks the question she’s been too afraid to speak. It lingers in the air, offering her no answer and worse, no relief.

After a few moments of peace, she pulls her self out of the bed. She’s exhausted. Things are getting better, but it’s not fast enough.

Becky just wishes it made sense.

As she leaves the room, she notices the closed door to the right of Gracie’s room. A faint gray heart has been stenciled on and filled in, but it doesn’t have a name.

She walks in.

The walls are painted the same delicate gray. A black wooden crib missing its mattress rest beneath the window.

Everything else is chaos.

“Guess we never got a chance to finish.“ She stops, pulling a laundry basket out of the rocking chair seat.

With five weeks to go before the baby arrives, they’ve got to make this room presentable.

Setting the basket on the ottoman, she begins to fold and hang the clothes. She marvels at how tiny everything is. She hadn't realized just how small their second child would be. 

"Amazing, isn't it?" 

Becky jumps, startled by the sudden intrusion. She'd been so lost in her head that she hadn't heard Charlotte come in. 

"Humans are tiny." Becky holds the sleeper up by the arms, and shakes her heads. 

"We'll see when she gets here." Charlotte clears her throat, as she runs a finger through her sleep mussed hair. "Speaking of... we need a name." 

Becky blanches at the mere _thought_ of this. She'd always been _horrible_ at naming things. There's a reason her childhood cat was named _Dog_.

"Sailor's a beautiful name but I get seasick." 

"Sailor?" Becky kicks the empty laundry basket to the floor, and moves to sit on the ottoman. Patting the empty space beside her, she tells Charlotte to sit. ""Think I was on a word name kick that day." 

"Oh I remember." Charlotte laughs, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Poet, Allegory and Fable." Her pursed lips turn up in a faint smirk. 

"Must have been having an off day." Maybe some things didn't change regardless of where one ended up. 

"I bet." Charlotte rests her head on Becky's shoulder. "We do need a name though." 

Becky turns, pressing a soft kiss to Charlotte's forehead. This is the calmest they've been since everything happened. 

"Love you, Bex." Charlotte grabs her by the wrist and sets her hand in the center of her belly. 

"Oh!" Becky squeaks, as the baby kicks her square in the palm. She laughs, enamored by the movement.

"You'd think you'd never felt a baby kick before." Charlotte's eyes flood with mischief, as she cradles Becky's hand in her own. 

This is the happiest Charlotte's been since everything happened. 

"Just gets me every time." Becky shakes her head as she stifles a laugh. "Love you too, Charlie." 

"Don't make me cry, Bex." Charlotte dries her eyes on the inside of her shirt. "First time you said that in a while." 

This is the first time Becky's felt even remotely normal since. 

She still doesn't get it. None of it makes sense. It might never make sense. 

She just hopes it will all fall into place.


	4. 4.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I mean- you almost died. Nightmares are going to happen. They prepared me for that." Charlotte strokes Becky's hair, as she babbles. 
> 
> Becky imagines this is the 'Mommy' Gracie gets in the middle of the night.
> 
> "I'm fine." Becky pulls away, suddenly aware of this all looks.

_Charlie, you know you're my girl, right?_

_Why do I get the distinct feeling you're about to tell me something I don't want to hear?_

"Becky!" 

"What?" Becky jerks awake, her skin cool and clammy. No matter how hard she thinks, she can't remember most of the dream. That may be a blessing. The only part she can think of is their break-up. 

"You were screaming. Woke me up in the bedroom." Charlotte shakes her head, averting her gaze. Then, she sighs, settling into the empty space beside Becky. 

She pulls Becky as close as her belly will allow. Becky finds it almost endearing- _Nothing_ is easy when one is that pregnant. 

"Sorry." Becky feels the color drain from her face. They're so close to the end that she _can't_ stress Charlotte out. She's been doing everything she can to hide the nightmares from her, but it seems that Charlotte has caught on. 

"Shh." Charlotte coos, tightening her hold on Becky. "No need to apologize." 

Becky shakes her head, as she leans into Charlotte. She can't shake the feeling she'll go to sleep and wake to find this existence never happened. She'll wake up, and find everything like it was before. 

"I mean- you almost died. Nightmares are going to happen. They prepared me for that." Charlotte strokes Becky's hair, as she babbles. 

Becky imagines this is the 'Mommy' Gracie gets in the middle of the night.

"I'm fine." Becky pulls away, suddenly aware of this all looks. 

She can't be weak. 

That isn't an option.

"Bex, don't shut me out." Charlotte rests her head in her hands. "I'm here to help you. _Let me take care of you_." 

Becky rushes towards the kitchen, her dry throat suddenly unbearable. She pulls open a cabinet and grabs the first chipped mug she sees. Filling it halfway with tepid tap water, she focuses on the sink. 

"You brave soul." Charlotte watches her down half the water in a single gulp. 

"What?" Becky winces, as the iron taste hits. "Why?" 

"Our tap water is notoriously undrinkable." Charlotte takes the mug from Becky's hand and replaces it with a small bottle of water. She sets the mug on the counter, and blows out a tired breath. "You've come so far that I forget how far we still have to go." 

Becky nods, as she twists the top off the bottle. She downs the water, doing her best to find any words.

"Are you going to be okay taking Gracie to her playdate?" Charlotte's brow furrows in concern. "I can always cancel my stress test." 

"No- that's important." Becky fixes her gaze on Charlotte's belly. "We need to make sure our nameless one is still in good shape." 

Nattie's got to take one of her cats to the vet. It's a last minute emergency. Charlotte's had this test scheduled for ages. That leaves Becky to play soccer mom. 

Initially, Becky balks. She's functioning but still living with the effects of the accident. Besides, Gracie hates her. Everytime she comes anywhere near her, the little girl cries, swearing 'Mumma isn't right'. 

Is Becky really the best one to watch her?

_You're just taking her to her playdate with Story._

_Story? You want me to take her to Story time?_

_No. Astoria Banks. Her moms are Sasha and Bayley. Remeber Bayley visited you in the hospital?_

_Vaguely..._

_Just follow the GPS. They're expecting you._

Sasha and Bayley- more people she knew once upon a time. Part of her expects their faces to be the same, even if their stories change.

"Let's get some sleep. We're meeting Nattie at 8." Charlotte grabs Becky by the hand, leading her to the couch. 

"Not the bed?" Becky gives Charlotte a questioning look. 

"Almost 9 months pregnant. Couch seems more comfy." Charlotte shrugs, as if to say _Just roll with it_.

"Only you, My Love." Becky shakes her head.   
\---  
"Mommy thought you might want this back." Becky squats down to Gracie's eye level and holds out the well-loved ballerina Bunny.

"Mabel!" Gracie's eyes widen with delight as she rushes to the toy. "Thank you, Mumma!" 

On their way out the door, Charlotte had shoved the bunny at Becky, suggesting she might help break the ice. 

Becky can't help admitting Charlotte may have been onto something.

"Are you sure you don't need her?" Gracie glances up from her beloved bunny. "She protects you." 

"No, Gracie Girl. You can keep her. She misses you." Becky holds her arms open. To her relief, Gracie accepts the hug. 

This all feels _strange_. For what it's worth, she barely knows Gracie. 

What would it be like to watch her grow from the start?

"Mumma, can I come home soon?" Gracie tightens her hold on Mabel, as she takes Becky's hand. 

"Soon, Sweet Girl." Becky's heart aches at this. She would love nothing more than to bring Gracie home with them. She also knows Charlotte _still_ isn't comfortable with that, especially with the baby due in a matter of weeks. "I promise." 

Becky stops, pulling the car door open. Hoisting Gracie into her car seat, she only takes three tries to buckle her in. 

"Ready to go see Story?" Becky settles into the driver's seat, and buckles her seatbelt. 

"Yes!" Gracie giggles, her musical laugh echoing. "Let's go!"

Becky _almost_ finds this normal. She had never seen herself as a soccer mom. It had never appealed to her.

Yet, that doesn't seem to bother her here.

After a few minutes of driving through a primarily-residential area, they arrive at a non-descript single story beige house. The Sasha and Bayley she knew would never live in a home this bland.

"Come on, Gracie Girl." Becky parks in the driveway, and steps out of the car. She unbuckles Gracie with far more ease than she had putting her in, and picks her up. "Time to play with Story!" 

"Can't wait!" Gracie wraps one arm around Becky's neck, and tightens her hold on Mabel with the other hand. "Thank you, Mumma!" 

Becky walks up to the front door, and rings the doorbell. Charlotte's told her she doesn't have to stay but Becky doesn't want to be rude. 

"Gracie!" The door swings open, as Bayley greets them. The small boy resting on her hip gazes back at them with serious dark eyes. "Story's so excited to have you over!" 

Becky stoops, releasing Gracie to the floor. To her surprise, Gracie breaks away and runs down a hallway. She's clearly at home here. 

"Stay for a cup of coffee?" Bayley opens the door wider, gesturing for Becky to follow her in. "I'll just set Little Man down." 

Becky nods, stepping over the threshold. It isn't like she has anywhere else to be, and maybe a familiar face will do her some good.

"You look good." Bayley stops, setting her toddler in a highchair. 

"At least that's what they tell me." Becky offers her a genuine smile as she sits down at a bistro table. 

"No- you do! We saw you in the hospital and _you didn't look great_." 

Becky nods, swallowing her snide remark. No one looked good in a hospital, _especially_ after a three week hospital stay. 

"I"m glad you're okay." 

Once upon a time, The Hugger met The Man and they went on a few rebound dates. It could have been _something_, if not for the fact neither of them were over their exes. 

It's odd to think about. 

"Charlotte's due soon, right?" Bayley sets a Santa-Clause shaped mug in front of Becky. "Don't judge me- I need to run the dishwasher. Milk and sugar?" 

"No judgement here." Becky wraps her hands around the mug, basking in its warmth. "And no thank you- black is fine." 

"Charlotte?" Bayley drops sliced banana on the highchair tray. 

"Another month or so." Becky takes a long sip of the coffee. It's strong and bitter- just the way she likes it. 

"Bet you're thrilled." Bayley sits across from Becky, holding her own mug of coffee. 

"Oh yes." This isn't a lie. She's excited to meet the tiny stranger. Then again, she's just getting used to life. It's about to change again. "Charlotte's more ready to get her body back." 

"I can imagine. Wilder was 10 pounds." Bayley laughs as she takes a long sip of her coffee. "It's a challenge but when you go from one to two, you just learn to be more chill. You learn not to let the little things bother you." 

"Makes sense." Becky reaches over, tickling the toddler's toes. "They're worth it." 

She hopes she sounds convincing.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becky glances to the wall clock. She hadn't been up for more than five minutes. She'd done it again- the last thing she wants is Charlotte to worry about her. They're so close to the baby's due date. 
> 
> Charlotte needs to focus on that.

_Do I really need to do this? The crowds hate these matches. _

_One more match, Becky. Just for this house show. We can't let the universe down._

Becky sits straight up, doing her best to stifle any noise. The _last_ thing she wants is to wake Charlotte. 

She knows Charlotte's worried about her. The dreams keep coming, and no matter what Becky tries, she can't escape them. 

If she's stuck in this life, she wants to _focus_ on this life. 

Becky sneaks out of the bedroom, taking care to tuck Charlotte back in. She heads into the living room, settling on the couch. Maybe she'll sleep some more- get the chance to make up what she's been missing. It hasn't been an easy time. 

"You okay?" Charlotte appears, her back pressed against the door frame. One hand rests against the small of her back while the other hand traces a path underneath her belly. Becky knows she only does this when she's nervous. Her brow furrowed in concern, she blows out a tired breath. "Just woke up and you were gone." 

Becky glances to the wall clock. She hadn't been up for more than five minutes. She'd done it again- the last thing she wants is Charlotte to worry about her. They're so close to the baby's due date. 

Charlotte needs to focus on that. 

"Yeah." Becky bunches the crocheted afghan in her fist. It's scratchy, made of orange and brown acrylic yarn. She wonders who made it and how long they've had it. "Couldn't sleep. Didn't want to wake you." 

Charlotte chews on her lower lip, as her hands moves faster beneath her bump. It's clear she doesn't believe a word Becky says. "Are you sure? You're not lying to me, right?" 

"Yes." Becky nods, emphasizing her point. There's something maternal in the way Charlotte questions her. She imagines this is the voice Charlotte uses when Gracie tells her her imaginary friend broke the vase. She pulls herself to her feet, suddenly noticing the chill in the air. "Can I get you a cup of tea?" 

"If you insist." Charlotte pauses, staring down at her belly. "Can you believe she'll be here soon?" 

"And we _still_ don't have a name." 

"We'll know it when we see it." Charlotte shrugs, following Becky into the kitchen. "We didn't know Gracie's name until she was almost two weeks old. We couldn't decide between Gracen Louise or Michael Elizabeth." 

Becky nods, watching Charlotte pull back a chair from the breakfast table. This is a story she hasn't heard before, but it sounds like something they'd do. "What happened?" 

"Well," Charlotte pauses, her lips curling in a delicate smile. Becky's breath catches in her throat- it's the kind of smile Charlotte only gets around Gracie. Really- it's a beautiful sight. "We decided it didn't fit her. Something about her- maybe it was how dramatic she was when we inconvenienced her? She just wasn't a Michael. She was our Gracie girl." 

"Oh." Becky reaches up, grabbing a chipped mug. Why's every mug chipped? Maybe they need to invest in some new dishware. "I can see that." 

She sets the mug beneath the Keurig, and opens another cabinet. She vaguely remembers seeing a glass jar of some oddly-named pregnancy tea- a gift from Charlotte's step-mother. "Mama's Knocked Up?" 

"Don't ask me. Sally's massage therapist's cousin swore by it." Charlotte laughs. "It doesn't taste bad- just got a weird name." 

"What about Apple?" Becky jabs at the button, starting the Keurig. She adds loose tea to a strainer and waits for the water to finish heating. Each motion comforts her in a way she can't quite complain. 

It's the oddest thing. 

"Apple? No- don't think we have any." 

"As a name, Love." Becky dunks the strainer into the mug, and carries it over to the table. Then, deciding a snack might be in order, she pulls a package of Oreos out of the pantry.

"No." Charlotte wrinkles her nose in disgust, as she stirs sugar into her tea. "I don't want her lunch money stolen. What about Sailor?" 

"I don't know." Becky flops into the chair across from Charlotte and gnaws on her thumbnail. "I get seasick." 

"_Lacey_?" 

Becky stiffens at the mere mention of that name. She holds no ill feelings towards her, but that doesn't mean she wants their daughter (unintentionally) named after the woman who so thoroughly rocked her world. 

"No." Becky squeezes her eyes shut, doing her best to stave off the wave of panic threatening to overtake her. "Not at all." 

"Sorry, Bex." Charlotte shakes her head, as she nibbles a cookie. "Didn't think you hated the name that much." 

Becky focuses on the scarred formica table top. She's resisting the urge to cry. It's taking everything she has to stay sane- why does she keep melting down in the kitchen?

"Bex?" Charlotte reaches across the table, resting her hand on Becky's forearm. "What's wrong?" 

Becky peeks up, her eyes connecting with Charlotte. "Just tired. Ready to have our big girl home, and meet our little girl." 

"Soon." Charlotte exhales, her body heaving with the effort."I just want to get Little Miss here and settled before we bring Gracie home." 

Becky nods. She gets it- they need to adjust to life with a newborn while disrupting Gracie as little as possible. "Can't wait." 

"Maybe you should talk to someone." Charlotte pushes a piece of hair back from her face. "I know about them." 

"What?" Becky feels the color drain from his face. Charlotte can't know her secret. She's gone to crazy lengths to hide the truth. How could she possibly know...?

"Your nightmares, Bex." Charlotte fixes her gaze on a spot over Becky's shoulder. "I figured that's why you keep ending up on the couch." 

Becky nods, realizing she's at a loss for words. She should have realized she couldn't get anything past Charlotte. 

"Bex, I almost lost you once. I don't want it to happen again." 

Becky pulls back, jamming her hands in her pockets. An idea forms in her head. "Tabitha." 

"What?" 

"What about Tabitha? A magical name for a magical girl." Becky nibbles on her lower lip, as she does her best to read Charlotte's face. 

"Watching Bewitched?" Charlotte smirks, her fingers tapping out a slow rhythm on her belly. 

"On at 3 AM and provides great background noise." Becky laughs. "Then again- there's always _Sami_." 

Her mind flashes back to a ginger haired man with a miracle smile, telling her she could do whatever she put her mind to. 

"Sami...." Charlotte chews on the inside of her cheek. "Not Samantha?" 

"No." If Becky's going to do this, she's going to go all the way. "Gracen and Sami... Try it." 

"Gracen Louise and Sami Joy..." Charlotte gazes dreamily down at her belly. "I like it." 

Becky nods, ultimately remembering her friend's advice. 

She would ultimately be fine.


End file.
